Due to lack or information found on the internet, this is all speculation. The information that is to follow is my opinion on the subject and if you have information pertaining to this topic I would encourage you to share.
People like products that are cheap, this way we can save money. When the voters vote to tighten the regulations on industries this causes the industries to boost their prices to be able to afford to conform to the new regulations. So if the purchasers want lower prices on the products in which they are purchasing then they should not complain about the pollution in the river. A common phrase may be used “the solution to pollution is dilution”. This simply means that by discharging pollutants into the Columbia River is solving the pollution problem because the Columbia River is a large resource with unlimited water flow to dilute the pollution to an acceptable standard.
